Fluid dispensing apparatus



March 13, 1934. J. c. WOODFORD FLUID DISPENSING APPARATUS 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 24 March 1934- J. c. WOODFORD FLUID DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed March 24, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLUID DISPENSING APPARATUS Application March 24,

3 Claims.

My invention is applicable to apparatus for dispensing fluids to motor vehicles, and particularly for dispensation of compressed air for inflation of vehicle tires through a hose which is normally 5 retracted and wound on a reel by spring means appurtenant to the reel, but which'is adapted to be withdrawn from the reel more or less during each dispensing operation. Such hose reel structures are of several types, respectively adapted for in suspension from ceilings or side walls and for erection upon floors or pavements. It is the ordinary practice to make different patterns of such structures for the respective uses aforesaid, for the reason that in the ceiling type thereof it is desirable to direct the hose downwardly, whereas, in other embodiments it is desirable to direct the hose laterally or upwardly.

Therefore, it is an object and effect of my invention to provide a single such apparatus which go is adjustable to permit the withdrawal of the hose downwardly or upwardly or in either direction laterally with respect to its reel.

As hereinafter described, my improved apparatus includes an outer casing, which is principally drum shaped and which is adapted to inclose the hose reel and its appurtenant spring mechanism, said casing being formed in two cylindrical sections connected in coaxial relation, one of said sections, being rigidly connected with a base which may be presented downwardly, up-

wardly, or laterally, at either side of the casing axis; the other section of the casing being independent of said base and rotatably adjustable on the other section which is fixed on said base;

said rotatable casing section carrying the outlet for the hose. Said casing includes fastening means by which said sections thereof may be rigidly or detachably connected. Such construction is advantageous in that the base section of the casing may be secured in any desired position and the rotatable section of the casing be then rotatably adjusted to present the hose outlet in the desired direction, and the casing members being then rigidly connected, by an unskilled operator.

It is the practice of operators to let go of such hose after each dispensing operation and permit it to be automatically rewound by the action of the spring which rotates the reel, with increasing speed, until its rotary movement is stopped by the impact upon the reel casing of the valve fitting on the discharge end of the hose. Said fitting and the hose are thus subjected to severe stresses which are quickly destructive of the joint between them. Therefore, a further object -and 1931, Serial No. 524,870

effect of my invention is to provide such a spring driven reel with brake mechanism by which the speed of rotation of the reel may be checked to prevent such destructive stresses upon the hose and its appurtenances, and, as hereinafter described, such brake mechanism extends within the rotatably adjustable section of the casing and includes centrifugally operative brake shoes which, when the reel attains a predetermined speed, frictionally engage the inner cylindrical surface of that section.

My invention includes the various novel features of construction and arrangement hereinafter more definitely specified.

In said drawings, Fig. I is an axial end elevation of an-embodiment of my invention including such a drum shaped casing; disposed as a ceiling reel. with the hose outlet directed downwardly.

Fig. II is an elevation of the right hand side of said structure shown in Fig. I.

Fig. III is an elevation, opposite to Fig. I, but with the axial end cover of the rotary section of the casing removed to show the brake mechanism.

Fig. IV is a plan view of the reel and brake mechanism as shown in Fig. III.

Fig. V is a plan view of the two drum sections of the casing in interengaged relation.

Fig. VI is an inverted plan view of the hose outlet housing indicated in Figs. I and II, showing the series of buffer rollers which encircle the hose.

In said figures; the reel casing comprises two cylindrical sections 1 and 2; preferably formed of primarily fiat strips of sheet metal bent to the cylindrical form shown, in Fig. III. Said section 1 is formed of one such strip having its ends butt welded, as indicated at 3 in Fig. V. Said section 2, which, as indicated in Fig. V, has a rectangular recess in its inner edge, affording an opening 2' to the interior of the casing, for passage of the casing supporting bolts and the compressed air supply conduit which extends from the exterior of the casing to the axis of the reel, as hereinafter described. Said section 2 is formed of two such strips, the outer one of which has its ends butt welded, at the top of said section, as indicated at 4 in Fig. V. The inner strip of said section 2 is visible through said opening 2 as indicated at 5 in Fig. V with its ends in spaced relation affording a gap 6 between them, at the bottom of said section. The latter feature of construction permits the inner strip 5 of said section 2 to be brought into intimate contact with the outer strip and spot welded thereto regardless of slight inaccuracies in the assembling of the latter; such inaccuracies being compensated by more or less gap 6. As indicated in Fig. V; said inner strip 5 is wider than the outer strip of the section 2 and projects within the single strip of the section I in telescopic relation with the latter. Said casing section 2 is reinforced at four equidistant regions of its circumference with plates 8 indicated'in dottedlines in Figs. I and V to there afford a greater aggregate thickness of metal to be screw threaded to respectively receive the four screws 9 by which the casing sections may be rigidly connected with the section 1 in the selected posi tion of rotation.

Said section 2 is rigidly connected with the cast metal base 11, with its rectangular recess aforesaid in registry with the opening in the bottom of said base and conveniently by four bolts 12 extending through holes 13 in the horizontal web 14 of said base 11, and through said opening 2 in the casing section 2, into screw threaded engagement with the flanges 16 on the frame bracket 17 which is thus secured in rigid relation with said base 11. Said base is adapted to be connected with the ceiling 19, or other support, by four bolts 20 extending through holes in the corners of said base, as indicated in Figs. I and II.

As indicated in Fig. I, said frame 17 has the bearing 22 at the lower end thereof in which is secured, by the set screw 24, the tubular shaft 25 upon which the reel 26 is mounted for rotation. Said reel comprises oppositely counterpart circular disks of pressed sheet metal connected in the spaced relation shown in Fig. IV, by the evolutely bent strip of sheet metal 26 indicated in dotted lines in Fig. III, which has tabs projecting through nine openings in each side plate and clinched upon the outer side thereof, as indicated in full lines in Fig. III. Said frame 17 also has two bosses 2'7 projecting parallel with said shaft 25 toward the outer end of the casing section 2 with respective screw threads to receive the respective bolts 28, as shown in Fig. I, by which the pressed sheet metal end cover 29 of said section 2 is held in rigid relation with the latter. Said section 1 is provided with a similar pressed sheet metal cover 30 at its outer end but secured in rigid relation with the casing 1 by a circular series of four screws 31 which are equidistantly spaced and two of which are indicated in Fig. II.

As indicated in Fig. V, said casing section 1 has the hose outlet 32 therein which is an oblong opening through the sheet metal, conveniently local to one of the screws 9. Said opening 32 registers with the inner opening 34 of the funnel shaped housing 35 which is conveniently a metal casting having the flange 36 with four openings therethrough for the screws 37 which engage in the respective openings 38 indicated in Fig. V and hold said housing in rigid relation with said r0- tatably adjustable section 1 of the reel casing.

As indicated in Fig. VI, said housing 35 has two inwardly extending diametrically opposite lugs 40 which are screw threaded to receive respective screws 41 which hold in rigid relation with said housing the pressed sheet metal plate 43 which has inwardly turned flanges 44 holding four shafts 45 upon which are journaled four buffer rollers 46 which encircle the fluid dispensing hose 47. At its inner end, said hose 47 is rotatably connected with said tubular shaft 25, by the swivel fitting 48, to receive a supply of compressed air or other fluid therethrough from the conduit 49 extending from said base 11, through said rectangular recess in the casing section 2, and as shown in Figs. I and II. Said hose extends through the gap between the ends of said spacing strip 26, indicated in dotted lines in Fig. III, and is evolutely wound upon said reel 26 and provided at its discharge end with the dispensing nozzle 50 which contains a spring pressed check valve.

The buffer ring 51 back of the valve fitting 50 is'provided to yieldingly encounter said rollers 46 and minimize the shock of thus stopping the reel when the hose is completely rewound thereon. Such rewinding movement is automatically effected by providing said reel with the gear pinion 52 for engagement with a spring mechanism adapted to automatically rewind said hose upon the reel whenever the hose is released by the operator. Said mechanism includes the gear 53 which engages said gear 52 and is journaled upon the stud shaft 54. Said shaft is rigidly held in said frame 17 by the set screw 55. Said gear 53 is operatively connected with the spring drum 56 which is stressed to turn by a spring 57 within it fastened at its inner end to said shaft 54 and at its outer end to said drum 56.

As shown in Fig. IV; said gear pinion 52 is rigidly connected with the circular flange plate 58 of said reel 26. The opposite flange plate 59 is provided with two fulcrum studs 60, conveniently Welded thereon, and provided with washers 61 and cotter pins 62 retaining, in pivoted relation with said reel, the respective brake levers 64 and 65 which are coupled by the bar 66 engaging the pivot pins 67 and 68 on the respective levers 64 and 65. Said lever 64 also has the stud 69 engaging one end of the spring 71, the opposite end of which is engaged with the stud 72 on said coupling bar 66; so that the stress of said spring continually tends to retract both of said levers 64 and 65 toward the axis of the reel 26. However, each of said levers 64 and 65 is weighted at its free end as indicated at 73, and provided with a brake shoe 74 which, when the reel attains a predetermined speed, limited by the stress of said spring 71, the latter is stretched by the centrifugal effect of said lever end weights 73 to thrust the brake shoes 74 into frictional engagement with the inner cylindrical surface of said rotatably adjustable casing section 1 to check and minimize the speed of rotation of said reel by its recoil spring and prevent destructive stresses upon the hose and its appurtenant buffer ring 51 and valve fitting 50.

However, it is to be understood that other suitable means may be provided for supplying the dispensing hose with fluid in connection with casings embodying my improvements herein claimed. For instance, such means as described and claimed in Letters Patent of the United States 1,752,048 granted to me March 25, 1930, for Improvements in air service stations. Therefore, I do not desire to limit myself to the precise details of construction and arrangement or 1 method of operation herein set forth as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential features of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

I. In fluid dispensing apparatus, the combination with a supporting base having a horizontal plane surface upon one side and a sectoral cylindrical surface upon the opposite side; of a cylindrical reel casing member fitted to said cylindrical surface; means for rigidly connecting said reel casing member with said base including a frame bracket fitted inside said casing and bolts extending from said base through said casing in engagement with said bracket; whereby said casing member is held with its axis horizontal and prevented from turning; a second cylindrical reel casing member, of the same diameter as said first member, and fitted in coaxial relation therewith, and having a hose outlet in its circumference; an annular flange on one of said casing members extending within the other casing member, in telescopic relation therewith; whereby said second casing member is fitted to turn in coaxial relation with said first casing member to present said hose outlet in difierent directions; a series of fastening means equally spaced circumferentially with respect to said casing members for connecting them; whereby, said second casing member may be rotatably adjusted and secured in as many different positions as there are fastening means in said series; a reel mounted to rotate on said bracket; and a hose carried by said reel having one end projecting through said hose outlet.

2. A structure as in claim 1, including a spring supported by said bracket and means connecting said spring with said reel, continually tending to wind said hose upon said reel; and centrifugal brake means carried by said reel for engagement with said second casing member which thus affords a braking surface which may be readily renewed without disturbing the fixed portion of said casing.

3. In fluid dispensing apparatus, the combination with a reel casing formed of two cylindrical members in coaxial relation; of a base member; means for fixing one of said casing members upon said base; means for removably securing said second casing member in coaxial relation with said first member; said second casing member having a hose outlet in its circumference and affording a continuous braking surface at its inner circumference; a reel; means in said casing sup porting said reel for rotation in coaxial relation with said braking surface; a hose supported by said reel having one end extending through said hose outlet; means, in said casing, for continually stressing said hose to wind it upon said reel; brake means carried by said reel for controlling the speed of operation of said winding mechanism, including a pair of brake levers fulcrumed on said reel and having respective shoes for engagement with said braking surface, a cross bar connecting said levers, and a spring connecting said cross bar with one of said levers for normally retracting said levers with their brake shoes released from said braking surface; whereby said levers may be displaced outwardly, by centrifugal action, into cooperative braking relation with said movable casing section, only at a predetermined speed of rotation of the reel.

JOSEPH (J. woonronn. 

